The arrival of the BMW X1 to the US coincides with an update that includes exterior and interior refinements as well as a range of BMW EfficientDynamics technologies. All models feature Brake Energy Regeneration while the X1 sDrive28i and xDrive28i models also benefit from Auto Start/Stop and ECO PRO mode to further reduce fuel consumption.

The new BMW X1 includes a range of technologies to increase efficiency. All model variants come equipped with Brake Energy Regeneration. An ECO PRO mode and the Auto Start-Stop function are available in the new BMW X1 sDrive28i and xDrive28i models.

ECO PRO provides efficiency-optimized driving with targeted adjustments to the accelerator mapping and the shift characteristics of the automatic transmission. Moreover, the output of electrically operated functions such as the seat heating, climate control system and exterior mirror heating are regulated to ensure highly efficient energy management. A special display informs the driver of the extra range gleaned through these measures.

The BMW X1 sDrive28i and xDrive28i feature BMW’s newest 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo 4-cylinder engine (N20). This engine delivers maximum power of 240 hp (179 kW) at 5,000 rpm while the maximum torque of 260 lb-ft (353 N·m) is developed at 1,250 rpm and remains constant up to 4,800 rpm. It is mated to BMW’s latest 8-speed Steptronic automatic. This combination powers the X1 sDrive28i and xDrive28i from 0-60 mph in 6.2 and 6.3 seconds respectively.

Preliminary EPA mileage estimates are 24 mpg city/33 mpg highway/27 mpg combined (9.8, 7.1, 8.7 L/100km) for the X1 sDrive28i while the AWD X1 xDrive28i has preliminary EPA estimates of 22 mpg city/30 mpg highway/25 mpg combined (10.7, 7.8, 9.4 L/100 km).

The engine, the most powerful in a new generation of 4-cylinder engines designed in accordance with the BMW EfficientDynamics strategy, is modeled on the current multi-award-winning inline 6-cylinder with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology (N55). The technology combines High Precision Direct Injection, Double-Vanos variable camshaft timing and VALVETRONIC variable valve timing with twin-scroll turbocharging.

The combination of a high power output and a simultaneous reduction in emissions is achieved by VALVETRONIC variable valve timing and Double-Vanos variable camshaft timing. The latest generation of the VALVETRONIC system features a faster-acting, optimized stepper motor with integrated sensor. Seamlessly variable control of intake valve lift dispenses with the need for a throttle butterfly. Instead, the air mass is controlled inside the engine, resulting in faster response. At the same time, pumping losses have been reduced to a minimum.

The excellent efficiency is also due to the High Precision Direct Injection system. Centrally positioned between the valves, solenoid injectors precisely control the supply of fuel. The fuel is injected very close to the spark plug, with a maximum injection pressure of 200 bar (2900 psi), resulting in clean and homogeneous combustion. The cooling effect of the directly injected fuel also results in a higher compression ratio than on port injection engines, bringing further efficiency improvements.

Exclusive to the North American market is the X1 xDrive35i featuring BMW’s award-winning 3.0-liter TwinPower Turbo inline 6-cylinder engine (N55). The N55 is the pioneer of a new generation of engines in which BMW TwinPower Turbo technology with High Precision Direct Injection and VALVETRONIC variable valve timing plus a twin scroll turbo made its debut. It will be mated to a 6-speed Steptronic automatic transmission.

The BMW X1 sDrive28i and X1 xDrive28i will retail for $31,545 and $33,245 respectively while the X1 xDrive35i will start at $39,345. All prices include $895 Destination and Handling.

In Europe, the new BMW X1 offers a new range of advanced diesel engines. Every rear-wheel drive X1 there now emits less than 130g/km of CO₂, and with the option of a new eight-speed automatic gearbox combined with BMW’s award-winning EfficientDynamics technologies, the new BMW X1 range is more efficient than before.

Most people think of Brabus for its up-fitting to make luxury cars even more luxurious (not to mention speedy).  In this case, Brabus is instead helping Protean show off a hybrid system which adds the motor to the wheels, simplifying the upgrade process from standard to hybrid.

Electric motors are mounted in the rear wheels of the car.  The trick was, surprisingly, not adding the motors, but getting them to synchronize with the transmission (a standard/manual) so they wouldn’t work against one another.

Adding the motors put another 220 horsepower into the drive train at the rear and Brabus put effort into integrating them into the drive-by-wire system and in tuning the rear suspension to minimize the problems that the unsprung weight of the motors adds to handling.

In the end, it’s not spectacular, but it’s a good start.  The motors act as both power boosters (bumping the Benz up to 7.4 seconds for its 0-60 time) and regenerative brakes to save both real brakes and create power for themselves.

Next-generation plans for the upfit from Protean include adding batteries to the mix, get more control on the powertrain (thus improving performance) and have an all-electric mode, possibly with plug-in capability.

Should be interesting.

Unlike the Toyota, however, this new Honda has a lot of style and, for its segment, some great looks.  It has a lower-appearing profile, but is actually about the same size as the Prius v, but that swooping style makes all the difference.

Taking cues from the company’s current lineup, the Concept S has a wedge-shaped front end that smoothly moves into the rest of the vehicle before cutting off at the hatch.  Wheels flung far-forward and back promise great handling and curved lines in the windows and beams finish off the speedy, air-cutting look.

Honda has not released a lot of information on the smiley-faced (look at the grille!) Concept S, outside of these conceptuals and the fact that it will be a hybrid.  It will likely sport the next-generation powertrain promised for the next rendition of the Insight, and Honda has said it will be a global vehicle, not restricted to Chinese markets alone.

If it comes to the U.S., it may expect to do as well as the Prius v has done so far.  It’s a segment in which Toyota currently enjoys a monopoly.

Apparently that isn’t the view at Ferrari HQ, as they’ve been considering a hybrid power train for some time.  Car and Driver uncovered patents filed by Ferrari for a hybrid power train that involves two motors and uses the kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) made famous in Formula One racing and now in use in Gran Tourismo cars, including Porsche’s 911 racer.

The patent has both a battery and a supercapacitor involved along with those two electric motors, which vary in position according to which part of the patent filing you’re looking at.  They alternate between the cylinders on the V-engine and at the rear axle.

The two motors aren’t necessarily both for propelling the car, however.  One would do that, but the other would be used to run accessories, taking weight off the engine and improving economy and efficiency – and performance, incidentally.

The benefits?  Faster acceleration, better economy, more power with less, and quicker response times from various systems.  Win-win-win-win all the way around.

Except, its’ suspected, to the pocketbook of the car buyer.  Of course, being Ferrari, the clientele usual to the company won’t mind forking over a few extra thousand dollars so they can have “hybrid” stamped onto their car.  Strangely enough, these high-dollar purchases would likely qualify for a bunch of tax incentives.

The patents clearly refer to a front-mounted, 90-degree engine.  Only one Ferrari has that right now: the California (pictured).  Could this be the next (appropriately-named) hybrid?

The Atlantic has many of the styling cues that make the Fisker Karma a breathtaking car.  It’s a low-slung, 1:3 design with a saloon hood, dramatically swooped windshield, and a clipped rear end.

Its drive train is the same as the Karma’s, though Fisker has kept silent about it’s details, likely due to the fact that they haven’t been finalized yet.  The power plant that will generate the juice for the electric drive system will be a BMW engine, however, rather than a General Motors product this time.  An interesting twist since the Karma is assembled in Finland with an American engine and the Atlantic will be assembled in the U.S. with a European engine.

Physically, the Atlantic is a smaller car and will sell at a much lower price point – in the $50,000 range.  It will compete with the Audi A5 or BMW 3-series.

It’s a beautiful car that, while it is missing a few of the refinements of it’s older Karma sibling, will fit well within the segment as a range-extended electric alternative.

According to the annual survey conducted by the Deloitte consulting company, Generation Y consumers, who the company describes as those aged from 19 to 31, want their new cars to be hybrids laden with high-tech features.

“This could be the generation that leads us away from traditional gasoline-powered vehicles”, comments Deloitte automotive consultant Craig Giffi who oversaw the study.

According to Deloitte, 59 percent of Generation Y consumers questioned replied that they prefer “an electrified vehicle” to any other type of car or truck, with their definition of “electrified””being mostly a gasoline-electric hybrid.

In comparison, only 37 percent said that they preferred gasoline-only powered models, while 2 percent would rather have an all-electric model.

On the other hand, range extended hybrids like the Chevy Volt are often not utilizing their gasoline engine for many daily trips, such as commuting to the office or grocery store. So the engine and fuel tank are dead weight in the car, lowering its overall efficiency.

The solution? Why not make the engine compartment modular?

That’s the idea behind the SCI hyMod (hybrid, Modular) concept from Romanian designers Dan Scarlat, Marian Cilibeanu, and Cristian Ionescu of SCI.

The car is built with a modular engine compartment that can be easily removed and replaced, making for a lot of cool options. Imagine a rear-engine vehicle like the VW Bug that you’ve backed up to a swapping station, perhaps in the back of your own garage. The automated system detaches your engine and then replaces it with your choice of options (range-extending battery, a fuel cell unit and hydrogen tank, or an empty storage compartment for extra luggage carrying).

Your electric car could have enough batteries on board to take it roughly the distance most people require every day (let’s say 40 miles as in the Volt). This would mean an EV with minimal weight that could be usable daily as-is. For a longer trip, you attach a range-extender. For example, to go to the concert this weekend, you’ll need another 80 miles of range to get there and back easily, so you opt to put on another battery pack to more than double your current range. Going to grandma’s Sunday? Add on the range-extending internal combustion engine and its small fuel tank for much longer range options.

As you can see, there are a lot of interesting and useful possibilities with this design. The hyMod may never be built, but the concept is great. It’s a natural extension of the range-extending trailer idea that’s also floated around as an option – trailers with combustion engines in them to act as generators for longer trips.

Here’s a short video outlining how the SCI hyMod concept would work:

The French team Bernard Darniche and Joseph Lambert took the car through the win, beating out 130 competitors from 30 different automakers. Six other Amperas were also in the race with four finishing in the Top 10 overall.

The Opel Ampera competed against such vehicles as the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the Peugeot Ion, the Renault Fluence ZE, and even a Tesla Roadster.

The Monte Carlo itself is a hard endurance course, no matter the car or its drive train, and takes teams through 343 miles through France to Monaco on the first day and then another 169 miles on the second. It contains a lot of city, highway, mountain pass, and other terrain. Here’s video of the win:

According to the annual survey conducted by the Deloitte consulting company, Generation Y consumers, who the company describes as those aged from 19 to 31, want their new cars to be hybrids laden with high-tech features.

“This could be the generation that leads us away from traditional gasoline-powered vehicles”, comments Deloitte automotive consultant Craig Giffi who oversaw the study.

According to Deloitte, 59 percent of Generation Y consumers questioned replied that they prefer “an electrified vehicle” to any other type of car or truck, with their definition of “electrified””being mostly a gasoline-electric hybrid.

In comparison, only 37 percent said that they preferred gasoline-only powered models, while 2 percent would rather have an all-electric model.

It seems that car manufacturers are already aware of this, as many of their latest models seem to target this group. From Toyota’s Prius c to the CUE system in the Cadillac ATS, carmakers are targeting Millenials in a big way.

When fitted to the all-new Outlander, the Mitsubishi plug-in hybrid EV system will allow for a range and very low emissions similar to that of the Concept PX-MiEV II show car, i.e. a driving distance of more than 800 km (497 miles) and a CO₂ target below 50 g/km.

The drivetrain combination of front electric motor, rear electric motor, and front traction/generator gasoline engine will result in a choice of three driving modes: pure electric (dual motor 4WD electric mode); series (dual motor 4WD EV supported by ICE generator); and parallel (dual motor 4WD EV supplemented by ICE-powered FWD).

MMC’s EV-based plug-in hybrid system uses high-capacity traction batteries that allow the vehicle to cover more than 50 km (31 miles) in 4WD electric mode alone, allowing it to be driven solely as an EV for most everyday situations.

Depending on power consumption and remaining battery charge, the system will start the gasoline engine automatically as a generator (Series Mode). At higher vehicle speeds, the gasoline engine, with its better high-end energy efficiency, will supply supplementary drive torque to assist the front and rear motors (Parallel Mode).

In addition, with the push of a button, the driver has the freedom to select a Battery Drive Mode”when she/he wishes to drive quietly and emissions-free (at sufficient battery levels) in residential areas or the countryside using pure EV power.

At the same time, the driver can also switch to a Battery Charge Mode while on the move, controlling use of battery power and using the engine as a generator to charge the batteries.

Mitsubishi Motors’ P-HEV system uses a newly developed dual-motor four-wheel-drive system mated to Mitsubishi’s S-AWC (Super-All Wheel Control). Based on the four-wheel-drive technology developed in the Lancer Evolution, S-AWC it integrates control of the 4WD, ASC and ABS systems. Working in tandem with the Mitsubishi plug-in hybrid EV system, S-AWC also contributes to better fuel efficiency.

The two motors drive the front and rear axles independently. Being virtually lag-free and offering superior control, the motors ensure finer more precise control of the 4WD system. The Twin Motor 4WD system does away with the propeller shaft, hydraulic system and clutch plate used to connect the front and rear axles in conventional 4WD systems.

The new Outlander. MMC unveiled its third-generation Outlander at the 82nd International Geneva Motor Show. The new version of the successful mid-size crossover (more than 950,000 units sold as of end of December 2011 since June 2001) was developed around a versatile global platform.

In Europe, the new Outlander will be made available with a choice of two different engines: a 110 kW (148 hp) 2.0L MIVEC gasoline engine fitted with an all-new valvetrain; and a 110 kW 2.2L diesel with a number of innovative features including an ultra-low 14.9:1 compression ratio. Further improvements allow for high performance and low emissions.

The new Outlander will feature a new Automatic Stop & Go system and and all-new 6-speed automatic gearbox.